Frequently Asked Questions

Your home is completely safe with Amy Cleaning.

Our cleaners are thoroughly vetted so you can be assured of any problems such as theft and any other matters which may concern you.
This is because Amy Cleaning have access to:

*The potential cleaners work history including references from previous employers.
*Home address and all telephone numbers.
*Details on their friends and family including addresses and telephone numbers.
* We employ security experts and work with a number of ex policemen.

Potential cleaners soon realise we know everything about them and undesirables never join.

We are well known in the industry for our stringent requirements and we seldom have any cleaners with ulterior motives.
Amy Cleaning provide a domestic service for very high net worth individuals, members of parliament, diplomats, famous people, professionals where confidentiality is paramount, people who are always surrounded by bodyguards and other high security measures because they need such levels of security.
Our staff and domestic cleaners who serve these clients are checked very carefully to ensure we meet their needs, and we have always passed. This is in partly because we have a highly trained security manager on our staff and ex policemen as consultants; they ensure our security in the office and with the cleaners meets these needs.

2 References

The cleaner's references from their previous employments must show experience and ability to clean in a domestic environment. We are looking for honesty, reliability and excellent customer service. Of course some cleaners only have one reference, this is due to the fact they have been serving one household over a long period. Although this is excellent and shows the cleaners commitment and ability we still will require another one and usually obtain a character reference from a Teacher or a friend.

Checking references for authenticity is quite an art form and our managers attend special advanced training courses to learn how to ensure when a reference is genuine and that the referee has given an honest and true appraisal of the potential cleaner.
We go to great lengths to ensure that references are true and accurate and only pass a cleaner once we know that all their references are genuine.

Proof of Address

This must be an original formal document, such as a recent bank statement, utility bill or tenancy agreement. We will only accept these and if the potential cannot give these then they will not be able to join this Agency.

Identification

These must include a passport, driving license, home office papers and a birth certificate. All our managers are highly trained in this field. The methods and techniques used to forge such documents are changing and advancing regularly; however with the proper knowledge and continual training with specialist consultants, we know when we are being presented with real documents, and when we are not. Our reputation is well known in the industry and people with such documents do not come anywhere near us.

Permission to work in the UK

The United Kingdom's conditions for people, who are not British by birth but are allowed to work in the UK, vary according to their nationality, and it is changing all the time. A list of the situation for each type of the nationalities would be quite long. However Amy Cleaning only passes people who are fully legal to work in the UK. We are very strict in this area, both for the protection of our clients, the company and our reputation.
Because we are so stringent, potential cleaners without permission to work in the UK know that it is not worth them even trying to approach Amy Cleaning. We do not tolerate such activities.

Next of Kin Details

Not only do we have all the information about our cleaners such as where they live, but we also have all the information on their friends and family aswell.

Pass a Domestic Cleaning Interview

With years of experience our in-depth interviewing is totally effective in finding the best domestic cleaners. We soon realize who is good and who is not and if we have any slight concerns then we do not pass that person. Interviews can be up to an hour long and we go into great detail so by the end we know if they really want, and are able to do the job required.

Pass An English Test

The English test is very carefully designed to ensure that the potential cleaner has the necessary level of English to freely and easily communicate with customers. The test is also carefully designed to ensure there is no cheating. For example we:

- Ask questions that are not normally used in English tests, so they cannot come prepared.
For example, instead of asking 'Where were you born?’ we may ask, 'Please can you tell us a funny story from your childhood?', or ‘Please can you tell me about your best friend?'
- We vary the questions so one cleaner cannot tell another cleaner what was in the test.
- Ask questions covering all different subjects, to ensure the cleaner understands all the different aspects of the English language.
- Ensure that there is only one cleaner taking the test at any one time, so no other person can help them pass the test.

Pass a written, oral and practical cleaning and ironing exam in a test flat

This is an essential part of our cleaner vetting.

* Practical cleaning exam:
So we can see if the cleaner is aware, has experienced, and is well practiced in all the cleaning tasks they may be asked to perform.
* Oral cleaning exam:
To ensure that domestic cleaners can discuss, advise, and understand the customer's cleaning requirements.
* Written cleaning exam:
Enables us to fully understand their full domestic cleaning knowledge.

These exams are carried out one on one with an examiner, so we really understand the potential cleaner abilities, and they understand how high our standards are.

Just 1 in 55 Applicants pass our Vetting and Screening

This is because, out of 55 applicants that apply with Amy Cleaning:

- 34 do not pass the initial phone interview, because their spoken English is not good enough, they do not have permission to work in Britain, their CV is not good enough, or for other reasons.
- 4 are invited for interview, and are either arrive late or do not turn up at all.
- 4 of them do not bring the correct paperwork such as adequate references, personal identification, proof of address, permission to work in the UK and next of kin details.

Of the remaining 13:

- 2 do not pass their domestic cleaning interview.
- 3 do not pass their practical, written and oral cleaning exam.
- 5 fail our reference verification, or their references are just not good enough.
- 3 do not pass the test at the end of our training course.

Passing our initial vetting and screening is only the beginning, as we carefully monitor all cleaners throughout their time with our customers. We expect the best possible standards from them throughout their cleaning career. Many cleaners are also filtered out because they become complacent in their work or fail to continue our high standards.